Love and Law

“Judaism has been accused over the centuries of being a religion of law, not love. This is precisely untrue. Judaism is a religion of law and love, for without law there is no justice, and even with law (indeed, only with law) there is still mercy, compassion and forgiveness. God’s great gift of love was law: the law that establishes human rights and responsibilities, that treats rich and poor alike, that allows God to challenge humans but also humans to challenge God, the law studied by every Jewish child, the law written in letters of black fire on white fire that burns in our hearts, making Jews among the most passionate fighters for justice the world has ever known.”

Ceremony & Celebration, p. 73